Alexander Wang

Barely out of college, fashion wunderkind Alexander Wang has already taken the industry by storm, and the 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards nominee shows no signs of slowing down. Born and raised in San Francisco, Wang moved to New York City at eighteen to try his hand at designing clothes. After just one year of studying design at Parsons and interning at Teen Vogue, Wang launched an eponymous collection his sophomore year, immediately winning fashion editors over with his selection of perfectly crafted cashmere sweaters. Now, having expanded his line to include a full range of ready-to-wear pieces, from distressed boyfriend jeans and shrunken vests to, of course, covetable cozy cardigans, Wang has continued to make a name for himself with his signature "model-off-duty" style. With a growing cult embracing his street-smart approach to dressing—including catwalk queens (friend Erin Wasson is his in-house muse and runway stylist) and downtown dwellers alike—Wang may just be the coolest kid in Manhattan. —NAOMI NEVITT